It’s still September, but the weather is cooler, and the November and December holidays are right around the corner. For many people in Newport County, what should be a time of connection and joy is instead a time of stress and worry. The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center’s holiday programs help those in need this Thanksgiving and Christmas.
MLK Community Center will again provide help with holiday meals with its Thanksgiving and Christmas/Holiday meal food assistance programs. The Center’s Santa’s Workshop program helps families with children under the age of 18 choose holiday toys and gifts for their children.
“The cost of food and housing in Newport County is already expensive. Then, you add the cost of holiday food and gifts. It’s enough to weigh anyone down. That’s why programming like this is so important.” said Heather Hole Strout, Executive Director of the MLK Community Center.
Registration for MLK Holiday Help Programs begins Tuesday, October 15, 2024 (The MLK is closed on Monday, Oct. 14). Those who wish to register should come to the main entrance of at 20 Dr. Marcus Wheatland Boulevard in Newport. Staff and volunteers will be available to register individuals and families Monday through Friday from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. Those who wish to register should bring a valid ID, proof of address, and proof of household size. To learn more, visit the MLK Holiday Help webpage at www.mlkccenter.org/holiday-help. The webpage will also list opportunities for individuals, businesses, and organizations to show their generosity by holding toy drives, volunteering, donating new unwrapped toys, and more.
“Our holiday programs are possible only because our community supports the Center”, Hole Strout explained., “There are plenty of ways to help make the holidays special for a local family and every toy, and every dollar donated matters. It’s amazing and humbling to see how our community pulls through for each other every year.”
Last year, thanks to generous support from across Newport County, the MLK Center provided the ingredients for a holiday meal for 2,435 people at Thanksgiving and 2,775 at Christmas and provided toys and gifts for 1,257 kids via Santa’s Workshop.
For more information, contact Melanie Saunders at (401)846-4828 x124 or msaunders@mlkccenter.org.
